What if James and Lily Potter survived
by amybielby92
Summary: It's the night that Voldemort is coming to kill Harry but at the last minute they get warning that he is coming and get out of the house alive...


p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"uspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Chapter One/span/u/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"James Potter awoke with a start. It took him a moment to realise to that it was the sound of Harry's crying in the next room which woke him. He rolled over and looked at Lily. She was snoring softly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span'em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Good/em', thought James. 'em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"She's got next to no sleep the last few weeks'/em./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJames stumbled out of bed and pulled on his pyjama pants, glasses and well worn slippers and padded down the hall to the nursery./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Harry, their son, was just over a year old and was sitting up in his cot wailing his lungs out. James picked his son up and stroking Harry's jet black hair, started pacing around the room humming. "Everything is okay"./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Harry slowly quieted down and James laid him back in his cot. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"James tiptoed out of the room. He started heading back to bed but changed his mind and went downstairs and into the kitchen. He put the kettle on the stove top to make a cup of tea instead. He pulled a teabag out of the cupboard and as he placed it in the mug on the bench he heard a noise behind him. Whipping around, he cursed at himself for leaving his wand on the nightstand./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"There was nothing but darkness. James breathed a sigh of relief and turned back around./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"AAHHHH!" shouted James in surprise; a brown barn owl was tapping on the kitchen window. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""James?" came Lily's voice from the top of the stairs, "is everything alright?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""It's just an owl. It startled me", he called back, "nothing to worry about."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"He heard her soft slippers on the stairs and in a few short moments Lily was by his side./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""If we're receiving an owl at this hour of the night, it must be important." She told him. "You hold the owl and I'll untie the letter". James did so and when he released the owl to return to its owner, Lily opened the letter. She took one look at the letter and all the colour drained from her face. James was by her side in an instant. He got her seated on the plush sofa in the sitting room and then gently took the letter from her hand./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Dear James and Lily,/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"I am writing in haste and hope only that my owl is quick enough to get to you. I have received word that Peter Pettigrew is on his way to Lord Voldemort with your whereabouts. If he reveals your location, the Fidelius Charm will break and you will no longer be hidden. You must leave Godric's Hollow immediately. Make for Grimmauld place. I will alert the rest of the Order and have them meet you there. I will be in contact soon./span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Albus Dumbledore/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"James reread the letter twice to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Surely he had read it wrong. Surely Peter, one of James' closest friends from his days at Hogwarts wouldn't betray him. Peter was always so kind and eager to help him. Although the thought did occur to him that Peter was always so eager to help that he was often misguided in what was actually help./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""James", said Lily softly, putting her hand on his shoulder and jolting him out of his thoughts, "I've got Harry. We need to go, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"now./em"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Lily walked out the front door, Harry in her arms. James went to the hall cupboard near the door and collected the bag they had had packed for and ready for weeks. Then he followed her. He hesitated at the front door and glanced back wondering if they would every see their little house in Godric's Hollow again. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"When James joined his family at the curb, Lily took out her wand and pointed it at the sky. Almost immediately a purple triple decker bus appeared. The door opened and a man in a bright purple suit stepped out. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""Good evening. My name is Stan Shuntpike. Welcome to the Knight Bus. I will be your conductor this evening."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Lily stepped forward, "Hi Stan. My name is Lily. This is James, and our son Harry. How much is a ticket to Islington."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""Oooh, Islington is very expensive. It will cost you 8 galleons each. However, if you'd like a hot chocola-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""We'll just pay the 8 galleons each", said Lily cutting him off, "we're in kind of a hurry"./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""Alright that's 16 galleons. I won't charge you for your baby."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""Thanks" said James/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"James pulled out the correct change and they boarded the bus, choosing seats at the front hoping that the ride would be fairly smooth./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"It was not. As soon as the doors on the bus closed, the bus lurched off and nearly knocked the Potter's off their seats. Lily, still tired, soon fell back asleep and snored gently, her head resting on James' shoulder. James, still too anxious about the events that had transpired, stared out the window at the muggle's cars that they screamed past wondering how they didn't see the bright purple bus./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""The bus turns invisible when it drives." said Stan, almost as if he were reading James' mind. By the way, I came to tell you that we'll be arriving at Islington in just a few minutes."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"James thanked him and Stan left. He leaned over and touched Lily on the shoulder. She jolted awake screaming, "GET AWAY FROM MY SON!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""Whoa, Lily. It's okay. It was just a dream. We're safe. He's not going to get Harry. I promise. We're about to arrive. Follow me to the door." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"The bus arrived in Islington and when it stopped, the Potters stepped out. James turned around to say thank you to Stan but the bus was already gone. Looking around to see if anyone was around, he deemed it was safe he took his wife by the hand and immediately apparated./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"The houses they appeared in front of looked rather peculiar. For one thing, the housing numbers went straight from eleven to thirteen. This didn't faze James or Lily. They walked straight to up the spike on the fence which separated the two houses and James took out his wand and tapped on the spike three times. The entire ground began to shake and the fence seemed to split apart. The fence twisted and grew until there was another house in between the existing two. Without hesitating, James opened the gate they walked up to the door and rapped smartly on the door./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" come a roaring voice from within number twelve. The door was ripped open and Alastor Moody appeared./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""Thank God you're alive", he said, just about collapsing with relief. He stepped to one side and the Potters entered. Moody led them down the corridor to the kitchen where the rest of the Order was waiting for them. James was amazed that so many had made it. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Standing just inside the door was Sirius Black and to his left was Remus Lupin. Sitting at the table was Kingsley Shakelbolt and Alice and Frank Longbottom who had their son Neville, who was the same age as Harry, was on Alice's lap. Finally, standing to the far right of the room were Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Albus Dumbledore was the first to acknowledge the family. "Glad to see you made it here safe", he said. "I think we should all have an early night tonight and then discuss everything fresh in the morn-"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Dumbledore was cut off as Sirius stormed up to James. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""I told you so! I told you so! I told you so! How many times did I say that Peter was going to be a bad choice? How many times did I say that you should have chosen me or even Remus instead?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Remus Lupin stepped forward, "Now Sirius, James and Lily have gone through quite enough for tonight", he said calmly, "How about you let them get some rest and then we can all discuss thing rationally in the morning."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""But, but... alright. I suppose you're right, as usual."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Sirius backed off and allowed Dumbledore to lead James and Lily upstairs and show them where they were staying. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"The room he showed them to was just at the top of the staircase. It was small but had a soft double bed. A cot had been set up for Harry. Lily put Harry straight into the cot and he fell asleep immediately./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"James sat down in the edge of the bed and patted beside him to indicate that Lily should sit beside him. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""I know it's going to be hard, being away from home", he said, "but at least we're safe. Who knows what would have happened if we had stayed?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Lily nodded solemnly. She looked at James as if about to say something but instead yawned./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';""I think that means that it's time for us to go to sleep," said James with a small grin, "We are going to want to be well rested before discussing the next step with the rest of the Order in the morning."/span/p 


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